Pierre Boucher was twelve in 1635 when his father, Gaspard Boucher, his mother, Nicole Lemère, native of Mortagne, as well as one of his brothers and his three sisters, undertook the great voyage for New France. Through his teenage eyes, he wondered at this country where his family had come to settle. The Jesuits noticed his intelligence and the vivacity of his spirit. They sent him to live with the Huron tribe to learn the languages of the Amerindians an essential skill in the great adventure that awaited him. This adventure marked him for life: in 1653 his recognized authority and his determination gave him the means to save the town of Trois-Rivières, under siege by the Iroquois. In 1661, he was sent on a mission to Louis XIV and Colbert, and obtained the dispatch of troops to consolidate the threatened army. In the name of his many acts in the service of Canada, Pierre Boucher was given land on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River opposite Montreal. It was called "Boucherville" and became a prosperous city. "I've done all I could to lead a blameless life!" he exclaimed in his will. He died in 1717 aged 95, surrounded by his large family. His statue today stands proudly on the front of the Quebec parliament building.